25 March 2020
Apprenticeship Levy – Response to Coronavirus
The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) has published guidance on the apprenticeship levy in the light of coronavirus (COVID-19).
The guidance provides information on:
- Applying the policy on breaks in apprentice learning.
- Delays to end-point assessment (EPA).
- Alternative arrangements for EPA and external quality assurance.
It sets out details of specific support they are providing, which includes:
- Encouraging training providers to deliver training to apprentices remotely and via e-learning as far as is practicable.
- Allowing the modification of end-point assessment arrangements, including remote assessments wherever practicable and possible.
- Clarifying that apprentices who are ready for assessment but cannot be assessed due to coronavirus issues can have their EPA rescheduled. Apprentices whose gateway is delayed can have an extension to the assessment timeframe.
- Enabling employers and training providers to report and initiate a break in learning, where the interruption to learning due to coronavirus is greater than four weeks.
- Clarifying how to record breaks in learning so that funding is not necessarily disrupted.
- Confirming that, where apprentices are made redundant, finding them alternative employment and continuing their apprenticeship as quickly as possible and within twelve weeks.
The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education has also published new guidance on the delivery of assessment.
The ESFA will be updating the guidance regularly and a helpline has been set up to assist with enquiries:
Phone: 0800 046 8687
Email: DfE.coronavirushelpline@education.gov.uk